Root of All Evil
by TheBrunetteDamsel
Summary: Prompt from tumblr: Villainous free-for-all in the middle of Central Park with the Avengers down there also. Warning: character death. Background: Loki's escaped Asgard and has been taken in by Maria Hill, set two years after The Avengers. Don't own anything.


Prompt: Loki was killed by two other villains; you can pick which ones, in a villainous free-for-all in the middle of Central Park with the Avengers down there also. Give me the aftermath of the fight, including if any other villains were killed and how SHIELD/Avengers/world is reacting.

The helicarrier roamed over the battlefield, the pilots of smaller aircrafts leaving the bridge. Below them was a nightmare, orchestrated chaos by an unknown party with the sole purpose of destruction. Refusing to stand on her own two feet in the safety of the ship, the deputy director commanded a small crew who moved to board a few chosen fighter jets, manned with enough firepower to take out armies.

The fighting below including many adversaries, including the Red Hulk, Carnage, and Victor Van Doom. The latter of the two caused enough damage for the first, but none were to be underestimated. A clash of red and green had destroyed the park and its surrounding buildings, scattering civilians, and more than likely leaving plenty wounded or worse.

The roars between the Red Hulk and Banner were joined by the crashing of trees and buildings, creating panic. Banner was doing his best; it seemed, to draw the Red beast away from the others. The Avengers were all in the fight, Hawkeye shooting his arrows from on top of a building less than a klick away. It was close enough for the archer. It was found that the Red Hulk was suceptable to blades, but the arrows were barely piercing the skin. They would have to try harder.

The other red and black creature was known as Carnage. Iron Man and Carnage fought, and the man struck Carnage with all the weapons his armor had, causing the unnatural creature to fall. Yet he would recover. His body morphed into weapons, his own limbs transforming into a hammer, and ax or anything that could cause pain. The blows struck the billionaire's armor who continued to fly out of reach and start over again.

Loki and Thor were in the battle, both teaming up as allies against Victor Von Doom, yet another super villain who arrived first to the party. Doom cast bolts of energy rivaling Loki's scepter, deflated by the trickster's magic and the thunder god's hammer. The not-brothers fought valiantly as a team against Doom.

Captain America, Maria Hill and a team of highly trained Shield agents joined the battle, the Captain directing groups of the military and police force in helping civilians escape the area and moving debris to free the fallen. Hill commanded a group of agents against Carnage, leaving Banner to the Red Hulk and Doom to the Asgardians. She and Loki spared a lingering glance to one another before focusing back onto their foes. Maria wished he could hear her thoughts then. They would regroup at her apartment tonight, but now wasn't the time to make plans for dinner. The fight dragged on, and a fighter pilot rained fire on the Red Hulk, causing the beast to be distracted long enough for Banner to gain the upper hand.

Carnage was a fight to the death it seemed, the bullets from submachine guns from agents ripping into its body with Iron Man's rays. The being slung its body away from Iron Man, Maria and the agents, morphing its arm into a hammer five times the size of Thor's and slamming it into Captain America who had only recently joined the fight. The Captain didn't stand a chance in Maria's eyes, and his body was flung back into another battle, slamming into Thor. Iron Man took the chance to pound on the crimson animal, pinning it onto the ground and grounding its neck underneath his foot while a ray shattered its skull. Carnage was down- but so was the Captain.

Thor was distracted by the fallen soldier, giving Doom ample opportunity to fire at the Asgardian. His shot was blocked by Loki's scepter, but the second was not and hit Loki square in the chest. The ground shook beneath them and everything seemed to freeze, Maria and the rest of the occupants of the park turning to see Banner and the Red Hulk flying towards them. Despite her fear, Maria ran to the battle, aiming and firing at Doom while she had the chance. The mortal woman was hopelessly and pathetically out gunned, but the weapon she held could do damage to gods, and caused Doom to stutter. Thor's hammer collided with the face of Banner's nemesis while Loki and Doom fought together. The trickster was holding his own but couldn't gain the upper hand. Banner came down upon Doom with his fists ready to smash, just as the Red Hulk threw Thor in the air and attacked Loki. Iron Man was gone, taking the fallen soldier back to Shield for medical assistance that was too late, Hawkeye was shooting arrows that penetrated nothing and had opted for explosives. Loki looked up just in time for Maria to see fear flash in his, and her, face as the red beast crushed him with his blows. After Loki's injury from Doom and the Red Hulk's fists, his body was beaten, and the harbinger of chaos staggered in his breathing. Thor's shout reverberated through the disaster as his hammer collided with the raging beast, throwing him off of the younger brother. The agent took this time to fire again on Doom, the bullets taking him officially to death after a beating from Banner.

Banner and Thor followed after the Red Hulk together, taking their battle away from the fallen trickster and Shield agents. Most agents had evacuated, leaving the battle to the Avengers and a select few. Maria had chosen to stay because, in reality, she was a soldier first and foremost who didn't back away. She commanded the Shield agents who stayed behind to begin helping civilians in the buildings nearby, clearing out the playing field for the god and the two hulks. Maria knelt beside Loki as he spoke his final words, and she wiped the tear from his eye. _"Ma- Maria… I'm sorry I can't make it to dinner_. _I love you."_

She smiled, and tears built up behind her eyes, and she willed them to stay their course. "Hush my _aroon_, it's over now. I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry. I love you. I'll see you soon." She watched silently as he shuddered and breathed his final breath and the woman stood over him, unable to mourn just yet.

It was known to Shield that the angrier the Red Hulk became, the hotter, and his body could not withstand higher temperatures. An idea came to Maria and she ran closer, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Thor! Use your lightning! _Damn it Thor_, your lightning!" How the god heard her, she didn't know, but he jumped away from the hulks and summoned with Mjolnir, causing dark clouds to cover the sun. Banner pounded on the red beast and jumped away as well, and at that moment Thor struck the Red Hulk with his bolts. Maria stood by and watched as the crimson beast roared underneath the heat, falling to the ground with such a crash it reminded the agent of an earthquake. The Hulk delivered the final crushing blow, and the deputy director watched the red beast shrivel down to a pathetic excuse for a man, broken and nude in the park, dead. Finally, the battle was over. Dead Shield agents littered the area, and Fury had declared the Captain to be deceased. The body of Carnage was being contained by Shield to be dissected and put through tests, the same as Victor Von Doom.

Maria stood as she surveyed the damage. The National Guard was on the scene with local task forces, clearing out civilians alongside of Shield agents. Her position as deputy director forced her to take command and watch as Loki was placed in a body bag next. It barely registered to her that Thor was demanding to take him back to Asgard. General Ross, the man behind the crimson beast, was bagged and placed in a plane alongside of Loki and Thor, with a considerably small Banner trailing behind them. The female agent followed as well, escorting the Avengers and the fallen back to the helicarrier. Thor's booming voice grated against her mind as he once again told her that Loki's body was to be released to Asgard at once. Maria snapped, grabbing his arm with her hand. "Quiet! Give us time to figure all of this out!" Banner came to her aid and quieted the Asgardian, while Maria stepped away to pinch the bridge of her nose.

A part of the city was in shambles, an Avenger dead as well as the only man in Maria's life to love her, but she didn't have time for that now. The National Guard would take care of the mess below while she and Fury combated the questions of the council and the press. The next twenty four hours were crucial, and they performed to the best of their abilities. The press was sated, and a funeral was given for Captain America. His identity was revealed and the city mourned him and their loved ones.

Tony Stark steered clear of the press, staying in the tower with the rest of the Avengers and Pepper. Maria assumed he was drinking his goodbyes to the captain. Coulson had joined them, acting as a wall between the team and the press who plagued them. Maria sat in her quarters on the helicarrier as almost the entire crew of the ship was given orders to sleep. A clock ticked nearby, and she stood, exhausted but unable to sleep. She walked quietly to the area deemed as a temporary morgue. The chilled room was silent save for the barely perceptible scuff of the agent's shoes, and the roll of the wheel as she pulled Loki's body from the wall. The agent unzipped the body bag and her eyes gazed over the fallen god's face. Her hands cupped his cheek, but she couldn't cry. "Wake up." She whispered, the sound of her voice breaking the silence. "Wake up." Maria grew louder with each word, her hand moving to grip his shoulder. "I said wake up damn it!" She screamed, and the noise bounced off the walls.

"Lady Hill. What are you doing?" Maria snatched her hand away from Loki and looked up at the intrusion.

"Thor… I thought you were at the tower."

"I could not leave my brother. He is dead, why do you scream? Did you know him?" Thor stepped opposite of Maria, looking down at his brother.

"I did. I guess it doesn't matter now." She stated, leaning against the wall and looking back at Loki. He was dead now anyway, there was nothing she could do.

"How well did you know him?"

"Well enough." Thor seemed to take her answer and stepped around Loki to get to Maria.

"I'm sorry Lady Hill."

"Me too, Thor."

He left her in peace and she pulled up a stool, sitting beside Loki as the two were left alone. Maria held onto his hand and wept silently for what seemed like days before quieting. There was still so much to do; this would be her only chance to say goodbye. He would be taken back to Asgard tomorrow. The city would be told of Loki's death and they would rejoice in the god's departure, while Maria Hill and Thor mourned separately.

The city would rebuild like they had done before, but a gap would be placed in the lives of few. Captain America's loss was a burden to all who knew him; he would be missed. Banner left to visit another remote country to try to recover his own self. Stark dove back into his work and alcohol, the latter slowing thanks to Pepper and Rhodes. Barton, Romanoff and Coulson all continued with their work, each remembering Steve Rogers in their own way. The government stayed with Shield longer than Fury would have liked, demanding more answers than they could give. Why were so many villains in one place? Who is to take the blame? The dead villains of course, but they weren't satisfied. Maria Hill and Nick Fury didn't care- they could take the explanation or leave it. After the noise began to die down and Maria could afford it, she decided on taking a day off to stay at home. Her tears were few now, having gotten rid of them all in the morgue that night. The wine glass was filled and emptied, and the cycle repeated until her last tears mixed with the white liquid and she went back to sleep.


End file.
